If you are in Runcorn and Widnes and have an urgent health problem that cannot wait until your practice opens you can ring us direct on 0845 6710 270 (all calls charged at local rate). You can also ring your practice telephone number and be re-directed to our service.

When you telephone, the operator will ask you for:

• The patient’s name
• The patient’s date of birth
• The contact telephone number
• The name of the patient’s GP or practice
• Brief details of the healthcare problem

We need this important information to be able to treat the immediate problem appropriately and to inform the patient’s GP about this out-of-hours treatment.

What happens after you’ve given these details:

The health condition is prioritised and the details are passed to a GP or nurse practitioner. They will telephone the patient to clinically assess the problem. The outcome will be either:

• Treating yourself at home
• Attending a local primary care centre
• A GP may visit you at home

Details of this contact with Halton Health are sent to your own GP the next working day.